Teaching Toddlers: Stranger Danger

<p>About a year ago an incident occured in our neighborhood; a man offered a ride to a boy at the bus stop. Thankfully the little boy ran to the nearest house, police were called and it hasn't happened since.&#160; </p>
<p>Since then I've been trying to teach my kiddos about the very real danger of strangers.</p>
<p>This past week I introduced Amelia to a friend of mine who she had not met before. When I asked her to say "hello" she said that that person was a stranger. I don't know why, but I hadn't really thought about it like that. I knew the woman but Amelia didn't, so to her it was a stranger.

So here's my question(s):
How do you teach your kids about strangers without adding unneeded fear?
How do you explain the difference between "good" strangers (when you are lost in the grocery store and need help) and "bad" strangers?

I appreciate your suggestions!

Blessings Abound!

Our fourth child has arrived!  Celia Marie was born on Wednesday, September 19, 2012.  She came in to this world after only 4 hours of labor at 10:30 in the morning!  A little peanut at 7lbs 4oz and 18inches long (our shortest one yet!).  I am feeling wonderful and Celia is nursing like she's been doing it forever - such a blessing!

The three older kids came up yesterday with grandma and papa to meet their new sister.  There were three very different reactions!  Abram (being only 15 months) has no clue what is going on, he just wanted lots of hugs and kisses from mommy.  Amelia (almost 4) said she would hold Celia once she came home but was quick to offer her lots of hugs and kisses and was constantly making sure she had all the stuff (paci, blanket, lovie etc).  Sophia on the other hand, the little mother of the bunch (our 2nd born and 2 and a half year old) ran right in the room, wanted to hold Celia right away, gave lots of hugs and kiss, asked about her diapers, and where her diaper bag was and said she was ready to take her home now.  It was so precious to me to see them all interact with one another!  We'll see how things go when I go home with Celia in another day!

I am writing this from my hospital bed... waiting for the nurse to bring me my precious little girl!  Words cannot describe how elated I feel to not be pregnant anymore.  But besides that, I feel so much joy in my heart as I think of the blessings God has given me. Four beautiful blessings in fact.  Each of them precious.  Each of them unique.  Each of them fearfully and wonderfully made.

When I was expecting our first a dear friend and very wise woman told me, "instead of dreading those midnight feedings with baby, use them to pray over your child."  ("it'll help you stay awake too!").  So that's what I did, I started praying over my kids when I was up with them at night.  Last night (or early this morning really) when the nurse brought me Celia, she did not want to eat, in fact they had to wake her up so I could feed her because it had been so long since "dinner."  So we prayed together, I thanked God for bringing her into our family and asked for wisdom and patience, among other things.  What a sweet, sweet time it was together, just me, my baby and my Heavenly Father.  She finally ate and we both settled back in to a restful sleep.  Now, I'm not going to lie to you, I love my sleep, in fact I require lots of sleep.  So for me to say that I really look forward to many more midnight feedings wouldn't be completely true, but the opportunity that it allows me is a gift that I do cherish.  I don't have tons of uninterrupted time in my life with the kiddos running around, so to me, for the few months that a baby wakes at night to eat, that is just another blessing God has bestowed upon me.  A chance to run to Him, to cling to Him for strength, and wisdom, a chance to lift my children up to Him in prayer.  And what an amazing blessing it is.

Baby, has arrived and is ready for breakfast!  May God bless you this day, and may you find joy in all your circumstances!

*Pictures coming later today!

Missing In Action...

Yikes, has it really been two weeks since I posted last? Where did that time go?

We have been busy over here, cleaning, sorting, schooling, playing and lots of long walks. Honestly the weather has been so nice lately that we've been spending oodles of time outdoors...sometimes taking three walks a day!

On top of preparing for baby number 4 who will be joining us shortly, I have been chasing around a very active boy. It seems everytime I sit down to the computer Abram has found something new to climb on or in to. This weeks newest discovery for him was that he can climb from the chair to the table to our half wall and balance precariously on top-talk about giving me a heart attack. The other discovery for him recently is that he no longer wants tp go down the stairs backwards but walking, so he stands on the top and dangles a foot over the edge...mommy has had to run to catch him many times in the last few days. Needless to say, I have no pictures of him doing either of these as I was more concerned with safety!

his past week Amelia started her ballet class. She had a ball and is excited to go back this week!

Another exciting thing for us is that fall Bible study started up at our church (as well as Tuesday Tots-the children's program). This semester I am doing a study on the book of Philippians all about choosing joy in the midst of hard times. There are about 20 ladies doing this study. I am really looking forward to seeing what God teaches all of us in the coming weeks!

Sorry, no pictures for this post, lots coming on Saturday! And next Monday I'll be posting my master list for our workbox activities as some of you have askef for some new ideas!

Enjoy your weekend!

Of Mountains, Manure and Monsters

I love running.  I've ran since middle school and have recently dabbled in the world of Ultra running.  Therefore, runs of 26 miles or more are not unfamiliar (or odd) to me.  When you are by yourself for that long there is a lot of time to think.  Many times my mind wanders and I find myself cruising along the western States Trail in California.  One hundred miles of trail through cool forest and hot red canyons.  I am by myself, without care or much responsibility.

On certain days however, the smell of cow manure punches it's way into my nose and brings me back to reality.  I live in rural west Michigan.  There are no mountains.  There is one hill.  And my "trail" is a dirt road around a cemetery.  But that's okay.  I can still get excited about running past corn fields under the crisp moonlight.  Animal eyes reflecting the light from my headlamp make farmland seem desolate.  I'm still by myself.  Quiet.  My run.  My life.

My watch beeps as I slow to a walk in front of my house.  The sun is up by now, at the right time of year.  I walk for a minute or so.  Then I hear the pounding.  It sounds like something is trying to escape.  That's when I look up at our front window and see one, two, three little heads looking out at me and hitting the glass with their little hands.  Every morning I run.  Without fail.

I stand up a little straighter and give a little wave back.  I walk up the driveway and all eyes follow me.  I stand below the window and make faces.  Wave some more.  Play peek-a-boo.  And even jump up and hit the window back at them.  They smile.  Giggle.  Stare wide awake.

You can probably tell which part of this scene I enjoy the most.  Sure, I could run for hours.  Add to my medal collection.  Travel the world and see and run through some amazing places.  Meet some pretty incredible people who, up to now, I've only read about.  I could.  And yet, there would be something missing.

No red-headed little guy following me up and down the stairs.  No little blondie coming out of her room every morning like she's got a pack of Red Bull hidden under her covers.  And no three (almost four) going on sixteen year old carrot-top saying "I love you daddy" as she gives me goodnight hugs and kisses at 8:30am every weekday.

No medal can top that.  No record or prize money could ever mean the same thing.  And if I run (or someday walk) around the same cemetery dirt road the rest of my life chasing phantoms of the elite, that's okay.  I have already won one of the best things a life on Earth an give.  I am a dad.  And I've got three (soon to be four) precious, priceless gifts from God.  And that is something far beyond anything I could have ever dreams of.

P.S. Maybe the next time I get surprised with the change to make a "guest appearance" I can write about my wife.  Wait, how many pages will this site let me write?  Hmmm

How Do I Have a Preschooler Already?

We started school today!  Lots of school, curriculum, activity, field trip posts coming in the days and weeks ahead!  I'm not sure how Amelia is already old enough to be starting school, or where the time went but we are here and she was bouncing off the walls excited about being a big preschooler and getting to do schoolwork (we'll see how long she enjoys it!)!

 And yes, I realize we are starting early (Aug 1), for those of you who may not have realized though we have a new baby coming to this home in late September.  I'm trying my best to get a good routing down for the kids before baby comes, that includes finding time for school, so getting a good month of school in is my goal so we can make adjustments BEFORE baby comes!  I am so excited to share our homeschooling journey with you all, and terrified at the same time :)

Our First Family Trip to the Beach!

The girls weren't too sure about the sand and water so the boys ventured out first!

Grandma trying to talk the girls into how fun the beach is!
(they weren't buying it... yet)

Abram loved the water as long as his feet didn't touch the bottom.  Sophia was TERRIFIED of the sand!

Getting brave, the wet sand didn't seem to bother her until a wave came in.

Still not really sure about the water but at least she was standing in the sand!

Getting warmed up with Grandma!

Tim came home with a sore back because he carried Soph around most of the day like this, she WOULD NOT let her feet touch the sand!

Skipping on the beach (after she tried to chase a seagull!)!  This picture is so Amelia!

No, Sophia was not sitting in the sand, that would have been a miracle, Grandma was pulling her on the boogie board!

Cooling off with mommy!

Rocker boy! Trying anything to keep him happy, after skipping both morning and afternoon nap he was pretty much falling about by the end of the day!

Swiping grandma's water!

Getting brave!  Right before we left he FINALLY put his hands and feet into the sand!











It was a BEAUTIFUL day to be at the beach!  My kids have unfortunately inherited their mommy's love-hate relationship with sand.  By the end Amelia was having a ball swimming and rolling in the sand, it took the other two a bit longer!  So thankful Grandma and Papa were with us, it was much easier to contain three littles with lots of extra hands!

STAY TUNED:  We start school on WEDNESDAY - the day after tomorrow!

Teaching Toddlers!

Mommy didn't do such a good job planning... this week we had a FAMILY trip to the dentist!  Tim and I both needed to be seen, as well as Amelia.  When I set up our appointments it just made sense to do it all at once.  WRONG!

For one, you cannot find a babysitter, during the summer, on a Monday morning, at 8am!
Secondly, when mom and dad are both busy getting their teeth cleaned, who is left watching the kiddos?

Needless to say it was an adventure (one that the kids handled surprisingly well)!  Between squeezing the double stroller and single stroller into the room and multiple potty breaks between cleanings it was quite the morning!

I am very proud of the kiddos, they played so quietly while we waited!

Abram didn't really want to play, he was more interested in what George Stefanopolis was saying!

Yes, that is a second stroller you see in the background!  We thought it would be easier if we strapped them in... unfortunately, since we're teaching Amelia how to buckle and unbuckle her younger siblings from their car seats (for future use), she can also unbuckle them (and herself) from the stroller!

It worked out rather well, Abram stayed buckled and the girls wandered back and forth between Tim's room and mine!  Thankfully 8am on a Monday morning isn't a real busy time at the dentists' office!

After Tim and I were done it was Amelia's turn!

"and how are you going to show the dentist your teeth?"

She did so good!  I was so proud of her for sitting still and holding her mouth open - not at all like her mom when I was little that's for sure! :)

I will say, she did great until the dentist came in wearing his mask and magnifying glasses, then, she had a mild freakout but was quickly reminded that only little girls who let the dentist count their teeth get to pick a prize from the treasure chest!

Ten Things I've Learned Since Becoming a Mommy

Motherhood is a learning experience, everyday not only are our kids learning but we are right there in the trenches learning with them.  This is by no means an extensive list but it's my list of some things I've learned, so far, since becoming a mom!  ENJOY

1. Privacy is a thing of the past! Seriously, say goodbye to time to yourself, especially time in the bathroom. I can't remember the last time I went to the bathroom or got ready in the morning without an audience!

2. Your food is NOT your own! My 3 (almost 4) year old is just now finally learning to ask before taking things off my plate. However my 1 and 2 year old never seem to want what I've given them (even though it's the same as what I have just smaller pieces/portions) only what mommy has!

3. Everything takes twice as long as it did before! There is no more “I'm just going to run to the store for one thing!” The “running” part of that implies that it will be a quick trip, forget quick if you have to buckle and unbuckle kids into a cart, offer rides on the penny pony and argue with a toddler over why you really don't NEED whatever candy bar they have grabbed from the checkout isle.

4. What is sleep? I mean REAL sleep... this one goes in stages, as newborns you are up with them to feed them, as toddlers you are finding pacis, and with preschoolers you are up taking them potty and calming them after nightmares. Even when the kids (on a rare occasion) sleep all night you aren't sleeping soundly because you are just waiting for one of them to wake you up!

5. Date night? I vaguely remember what that is... not only do you have to find a babysitter, by the time you have found one that a)knows how to put diapers on the right way, b) is comfortable with newborns or multiple kids and c)is actually willing to give up a Friday night, chances are you are too exhausted to want to do dinner and a movie anyway.

6. Bath time is NOT for the faint of heart. As newborns this isn't so bad, but once you get toddlers, or more than one in the tub you might as well don a rain coat and galoshes because you are about to get wet, and I mean really really wet! This summer my children have learned what a cannonball is (at Papa's pool) so they do their best to recreate it in the bathtub!

7. Taking a shower everyday is a luxury. I mean really, if the people at Bath and Body Works expected us moms to actually shower every day, (not to mention where clothes NOT covered in spit up and other disgusting things) then they never would've invented pretty scented body spray!

8. The “volume” button on the remote control really does ONLY work for the TV. If yours are anything like mine, happy noises can quickly go from squealing and giggling to all out banshee screams in no time flat. Another word that has no meaning to children is “shhhh”, so save your breath.

9. Silence can be a good thing AND a bad thing. If the kids are all sleeping then great, enjoy the peace and quiet. However, if you sent your kids to the play room twenty minutes ago and you don't hear them fighting yet you may want to go check on them, chances are they have figured out how to unlock the closet and emptied all the shelves. If they haven't done that, check the back yard – did you know that even a 2 year old can figure out how to open a sliding glass door?!

10. Even with all the things listed above, having kids is the most rewarding thing you will ever experience. Who needs sleep, that's what coffee is for, and really, I think God gives us those sleepless moments to pray for our kids, what a great opportunity! With kids eating off your plate, you eat less, there goes that baby weight! :)  Plus, with all the water that lands on the floor during bath time, you have to mop half as often!

All I'm saying is this, will all the things that could be construed as negatives in the life of a mom, the blessings that happen each day when having kids far outweigh not being able to enjoy a hot shower every day. If you really do look at all these things as negatives you would spend your day in tears, so learn to see blessings in disguise, laugh at yourself when you can and most of all, love your kids!

So what's your list?  What's the "best thing" you've learned since becoming a mommy?

Let Me Set The Record Straight...

"I don't know how you handle it!"

For some reason I hear this a lot. Now that we are expecting our fourth I hear it even more than before. Yes our kids are close in age, yes they are busy, yes they create a lot of work for me, but that's just my life! I have no other choice but to “handle it!”

A lot of my friends have their children spaced 2 or more years apart (which is completely fine), and they seem amazed at how I manage to get things done with my kids so close in age. In truth, I handle it the same way they handle their kids who are 2 years apart! I don't know any differently, to me, this is the “norm,” I do it because I have to. And I am definitely NOT alone, I have an amazing husband who pitches in with everything from diapers to dishes, and our children are blessed to have wonderful grandparents who love to spend time with them! I know for a fact that I would NOT be able to make it through my days without the strength that God gives me.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Just let me set the record perfectly clear here, I am no better than the next mom. I have no super powers that enable me to get things done that other moms don't, and I certainly DO NOT have it all together. I lose my patience with my kids, I feel alone (a lot), and there are days when feelings of inadequacy are completely overwhelming. But it all comes back to the job God has given to me: I am first a wife to Tim, and secondly, a mommy to three (almost 4) amazing blessings. I don't think God would give me a special job, or a blessing just to see me fail. He gives me the strength I need to make it through my *sometimes very long* days and I am thankful that when I go to sleep each night I can rest assured that His mercies will be new when I wake up the next day.

When this picture was taken, Abram was a week old, Sophia was 15 months and Amelia was 2.5.  I remember thinking "how will I ever manage three kids, a house, a husband and keep some sanity?" But ya know what, it's a year later and we're all still alive and well, the house is a little messier, my sanity is somewhat questionable, but God has seen us through and will continue to every day!

So, the next time you think that because my kids are super close in age, I must have it all together, or have figured out some special secret to being super mom, think again. And if you come across the secret, please share with the rest of us!  Us mommy's have to stick together!

Teaching Toddlers: These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things!

As a mom with littles I'm always looking for ways to keep them entertained. Whether we are doing something together, or I need them to occupy themselves for a few minutes, if they don't enjoy the activity it's not going to last long. So from one mom to another, I've compiled a list of our favorites; from books, and toys, to crafts and everyday items that turn our otherwise long days at home into fun and sometimes even educational experiences!

We spend LOTS of time reading around here. In the colder months we make it to the library once every other week, but in the summer we pretty much stick to what we have here at home. I asked the girls to tell me some of their favorites, so here they are, in no particular order:

Farmyard tales Series
 Caps for Sale

The Little Red Hen

The Rooster Crowed

When I Was Young In The Mountains
Corduroy
Jesus Story Book Bible

My First Search and Find (for Toddlers)

My girls LOVE games! To them, this is classified as basically anything in a box that we only get out when Abram is asleep!

Puzzles – Amelia is just starting to be able to do some of the harder ones on her own

Box of Beans

Colored Pasta

Dominoes

Rummikub – they love to match the colors/numbers

Lacing beads/buttons

We don't have tons of toys. The majority of the toys we have consist of play food and other kitcheny type things, along with some baby doll things. Tim built a kitchen for the girls for Christmas last year and all three of the kids spend a lot of time playing with it. Some of our favorite things to play kitchen are:

Felt food – we have several sets (we tend to like these better than the wooden ones, the girls love being able to actually make sandwiches and salads)

Wooden food

Any mini gadget that looks like it belongs in mommy's kitchen!

Baby's, cradle, and highchair

*Amelia's newest obsession is Legos!

*Abram's favorite toys are cars, and balls!

Crafts are a high priority around here, especially to Amelia. She keeps her favorite coloring book and crayons on her chair at the table and colors during breakfast most mornings! Here are a few of our favorite “tools” to use while being creative!

Do-a dots (a current FAVORITE)

Twistable colored pencils/crayons

pom-poms (which my girls for some reason call puff-balls)

WASHABLE finger paints

pieces of felt and tissue paper

Occasionally I do need a few minutes to get things done without actually sitting with them and supervising, or we just get sick of the toys and need some random fun. So, here are a few “unusual” things we do to pass the time!

Fill up the sink with a couple inches of water and give them bowls and measuring cups/spoons

I lay my hot pads/oven mitts all over the living room and tell them they can't touch the carpet (they call this hopscotch)

Simple chores – give them each a lysol wipe and see who can wipe down the most light switches and door knobs the fastest (why they like this I'm not sure)

Play library – this usually means we put all the books back on the shelf, standing up the right way, the girls even “scan” each one as it goes on the shelf!

So that's how we keep busy. I'm always looking for fun new ideas, so give me your best ones! Feel free to leave a comment about your favorite kid friendly activity/craft etc!

*and yes, sometimes I just sit them in front of a video for a few minutes, this however doesn't usually hold their attention for very long.  Not to mention, it's hard to find videos that are not filled with things that I'd rather my toddlers not know - always looking for suggestions!

A Day in the Life...

At 5:30am (most mornings anyway) I roll over in bed to the sound of baby giggles from the upstairs nursery, I shut the baby monitor off as quickly as I can and pray I can fall back to sleep before anymore of the kids are awake.

At 6:00am I hear tiny footsteps on the stairs and a small voice "mommy, I need to go potty"... my sweet Sophia is up for the day.  It takes 4 or 5 times of marching her back to her bed and reminding her to stay in bed until her alarm goes off before she gets the point (at this point it's 6:45am - so much for falling back to sleep).

At 7:00am I can't hold them off any longer!  Amelia would sleep longer if it wasn't for her siblings waking her up.  It seems they all want something different at exactly the same time.  Thankfully Tim is home for this chaotic part of the day!  Breakfast, diaper changes and clothes on before we play!

By 7:30am all kiddos have been fed, mommy is lucky to have 10 minutes to myself to shower and dress before the day really begins!  By the time I come upstairs I find all three kids have dog-piled on daddy and he is desperately looking for an escape.

8:15am means nap time all around.  The girls fight over who gets to hug and kiss daddy first as he heads off to bed.  I lay Abram down for his nap and the three of us girls start our "joy jobs!"  Between cleaning up breakfast dishes (and usually dinner dishes from the night before), starting laundry, multiple trips to the potty, and settling lots of squabbles this nap time goes WAY TOO FAST.

10:30am Abram rejoins the world of crazy!  We all head downstairs to play and fold laundry.

11:45am usually by this time the troops are "starving" for lunch so we pick up a little then head upstairs!  If I let the girls choose, Amelia would have PB & J every day (with crunchy peanut butter), Sophia would have Mac& Cheese every day.  We've been working really hard on table manners with the girls, they both are practicing saying please and thank you, and they have to ask to be excused and be washed off before they can leave the table.

12:30pm brings my favorite part of my day!  Abram goes down for his nap, then the girls and I read some stories, then Sophia goes down for her nap!  This is the time that we'll use for school this coming year.  Generally I use this time to do things that I can't do with lots of helping hands, mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms, bible study, toy purging ;) etc.  This is also Amelia's "quiet time."  She has a few options to choose from, she can watch a video, or pick an activity from our toy closet (toys that I don't keep out when Soph and Abram are around).  Once a week I try to do something special just the two of us, make cookies or do a fun craft etc.

3:00pm means everyone's awake!  Amelia and Sophia take turns waking daddy up, then Tim and the kids all have a snack (and Tim starts his IV of coffee).  This is the part of the afternoon that I think all mothers dread, that time before dinner when the kids are restless, hungry and bored.  Usually Tim will take the kids outside or the girls will help me prep dinner while Tim plays with Abram.

5:00pm is our dinner time - yes we eat kind of early.  Amelia helps set the table and we all hold hands to pray before we eat!  Dinner is pure chaos!  I'm lucky if I am able to take three bites without having to get up to get something for someone.  It would be easier probably to drag the kids outside and just hose them off once they're done but we wipe them off as best we can then pile them into the tub!

6:30pm by now, kids are jammied, teeth are brushed and we're finishing up the "joy jobs" for the day - generally this means picking up the toys in the basement.

6:45pm Abram gets some special snuggles then it's time for bed.  Once he's down the girls and Tim and I snuggle on the couch to read some bedtime stories and the bible story for the day.

7:15pm the girls go to bed (notice I didn't say go to "sleep").  Amelia is great at staying in bed and will usually fall asleep within 15 minutes or so.  Sophia on the other hand may get out of bed 15-20 times before she actually falls asleep, some nights this means she's up until after 9pm.

Once the girls are in bed I take a deep breath and realize that we (barely) made it through another day full of precious moments and small blessings and in just 12 very short hours we get to start all over again.  Now, I realize I spared you the gory details (the squabbles, accidents, tears, time-outs etc) but when I look back on the day and think of all the GOOD moments, I have to wonder, how could anyone NOT want to be a parent?  Yes, it's exhausting, and yes there are times during the day when I'm not sure I can make it through one more hour; but at the end of the day, when those littles are giving bedtime hugs and kisses and when my 2 and 3 year olds tell me "good night mommy, I love you" I know that it's so very worth it!

Learning if the Hard Way

I have never been much of a writer, so to put into words what God has been doing in my life over the past month is proving to be more difficult than I thought it would be. Bear with me! :)

Those of you who know me well, know that I like to have my ducks in a row, get as much done in a day as I can, do not do well with change and I do not (I repeat DO NOT) enjoy asking for help. So, in April when my back started bothering me I realized I needed to slow down – lesson #1. I figured my body was telling me that this pregnancy was taking it's toll on me a little more than the first three. Then in May when it was getting hard just to get up and down the stairs without crying I figured, okay, I guess chasing three littles and being pregnant is just going to be hard until September.

What I hadn't planned on however was my doctor telling me that I would need to go on modified bed rest – lesson #2. * For those of you who have done the bed rest thing I applaud you* Right away I knew this would present a problem, for one I have three kids 3 years old and under, and secondly, I don't sit around doing nothing very well. After a week of that and my pain only worsening, my doctor figured the pain probably wasn't related to the pregnancy. Bla bla bla, three doctors and a physical therapist later I have a bulging disk, am issued a cane and am signed up for 6 weeks of water therapy at the local senior center!

For those of you moms who are reading this, if someone told you to rest and only be on your feet when necessary how would you respond? EXACTLY! I asked my doctor if he provided child care! :) Now, because I am who I am, I figured, no big deal, I can handle bed rest and my three kiddos – WRONG. Boy did I try though. It took me a full three days before I could choke down my pride and call my mom for help – lesson #3.

That phone call was a little over 6 weeks ago and I am so thankful that God led me to that place. I can honestly say that I have never been put in a more humbling position. Most people are quick to say “sure I can bring a meal” (or watch your kids, or whatever your need may be), but how quick are we to say “I really need help right now.” ?

So what did I learn in all this (am still learning)?

1. I am not, nor will I ever be Super Mom.
2. It is okay to ask for help, it has been good for my kids to see other people helping in our home and it has been good for them to realize that mommy needs their help too.
3. It is okay for the house to not look company ready 100% of the time.
4. My priorities need to change

I really feel like God is showing me through all of this that how I spend my time is what matters most. Am I focusing on things eternal or on the here and now? So often I miss opportunities with my kids because it's “just a minute, let me finish the dishes” or “we'll read a story once we pick up all the toys”. I think about all the chances that I've missed to have those “eternal” moments. In the long run, once this 4^th baby comes, I probably won't have time to make sure the house is spotless before you come over to visit (although I'll try), and the laundry will probably never be caught up completely. It's not to say that taking care of our things isn't important, because it is, but if that's my primary focus, something more important than my back is out of alignment. The jobs He has given me right now need to be my primary focus, and that is being the best wife for Tim, and mommy I can be to my three precious blessings.

So, what's your focus? 

*Stay tuned later in the week for a post all about what we'll be doing for school! (with LOTS of pictures :) )